Monday, February 10, 2014

Sign the Petition


February is about Self Advocacy. I cannot think of a better example of the power of Self Advocacy than the beautiful story of Sara Wolff in Pennsylvania. Sara recently created a petition on Change.org to ask for congress to pass the ABLE Act. On February 5th, while on a conference call regarding public policy, the petition was discussed. At that time, the goal was to get to 7,000 signatures. When I logged on to the petition the following Monday morning, just 5 days later, the number of supporters was over 178,000!!!! Please add your voice to this important cause. Please sign Sara’s petition. Please show congress that it is time to pass the ABLE Act. Please show congress that America cares about people with a disability and believes in their right to save for their future just like every other American family. Make your voice heard. Sign the petition today.
 



Background Information
 

The ABLE Act currently has 326 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives and 62 co-sponsors in the Senate. The ABLE Act, when enacted into law, will give people with Down syndrome and their families the ability to save for the future just like every other American family. Currently, barriers to employment, independent living, and ultimately, economic self-sufficiency, exist because individuals with Down syndrome and other disabilities must rely on services like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) proved, however, to qualify for these services individuals with Down syndrome may not have more than $2,000 in assets, and earn no more than $674 in a monthly income.
 

The ABLE Act will eliminate barriers to work and saving by preventing dollars saved through ABLE accounts from counting against an individual’s eligibility for any federal benefits program. The legislation also contains Medicaid fraud protection against abuse and Medicaid pay-back provision when the beneficiary passes away. The ABLE Act has been endorsed by over 50 national disability, religious, and nonprofit organizations. By cosponsoring and passing the ABLE Act, you will give more individuals with a disability and their families the ability to save for their child’s future just like every other American family!
 

Dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals with Down syndrome,


 

Lisa Wells, Executive Director

 

 

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